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Watch List 2017 (part 2)

A couple of weeks ago, the notorious Heroclix Watch List made its first appearance in a couple of years. Less than two weeks later, we have the results!

Felix Faust

WHAT WE SAID

The Realms Open Championship league banned Felix twice. WizKids hasn’t banned a figure in its entire history. Perhaps Felix will be the first, because there’s really no elegant fix for this douchebag of a piece.

Wizkids agreed. Where convention exclusive pieces usually have a long shelf life before rotating out (for example, Bat-Mite was released in spring 2013 and just got retired this June), Felix Faust gets the axe immediately.

Sooo… Not banned. But… Yeah, banned.

“Bye Feliciax”

Jakeem Thunder

WHAT WE SAID:

Should escape the Watch List unscathed for a number of reasons. First, he already has built in balances within his “pick a power” trait: Limited to beginning of turn, limited selection of “grade A” powers. Second, the new version of Outwit will be a gut punch …

Again, Wizkids agreed. Jakeem is not the problem here.

Pym Tank

WHAT WE SAID

it’s rather like Precision Strike in that it’s an element that combos with EVERY SORT of attack with an effective Area of Effect that far exceeds its 8-point price and has almost no counter.

At minimum, it shouldn’t combo with other attacks.

Wizkids more than agreed. Not only is it a no damage attack — which is appropriate because it’s essentially like tossing a grenade — but they took its penetrating damage as well.

Heroclixin’ likes this change. It is enough that the tank forcibly moves Invulnerability-plus figs. It should NOT damage them the same as completely unarmored characters.

It’s called INVULNERABILITY.

More the point: it’s an 8-point piece. Its reward (high) was all out of proportion to its risk/expense (low).

Finally, on a F.U.N. level: use of Pym Particles in a fight is not something that should be easy for any old character not named Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne or Scott (or Cassie) Lang to pull off.

Goblin King

WHAT WE SAID

Oh, WizKids, you were doing so well with balancing the “pick a power” thing.

Then you go and make Goblin King with NONE of those [balances]. AND protected from Outwit.

Whose design is this???

Heroclixin’s fix: If he picks powers, he can’t use Power Cosmic.

Wizkids went even further, banning from using the team ability at all on his lower point costs. Some have complained that him losing Willpower is the bigger deal. But one of his two power choices can always be Willpower (unlike Jakeem), sooo… This isn’t a problem unless you need easy mode Heroclix.

Same goes for the old loophole that allowed him to have four powers in a turn because he kept his choices until he chose again. Wizkids closed it.